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Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely Quotes

Businesswoman

Sara Blakely (born February 21, 1971) is an American entrepreneur and founder of Spanx, a leading shapewear company. Starting with just $5,000 in 2000, she transformed a simple idea into a billion-dollar global brand that revolutionized the women's shapewear industry. Blakely is one of the most successful self-made female billionaires in the world and an inspiration to entrepreneurs worldwide.

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All Ifs Knows Way Thinking Trying Failing Want Outcomes People Spanx

Famous Sara Blakely Quotes

“Having a mental snapshot of where you are, where you are going, and what you are moving toward is incredibly powerful.”

Motivational Moving Powerful Where You Are Snapshots Where You Are Going

Author:Sara Blakely

“Perseverance is the key to starting a successful business.”

Successful Keys Perseverance Starting Successful Business

Author:Sara Blakely

“The smartest thing I ever did was to hire my weakness.”

Author:Sara Blakely

“Courage is doing something despite the fear, and I've worked hard on being a courageous person.”

Persons Hard Despite Courageous

Author:Sara Blakely

“Ideas, even million-dollar ones, are most vulnerable in their infancy; don't share them with too many people. However, don't hide your plan from people who can help you move it forward.”

People Ideas Helping Moving Millions Plans Share Dollars Vulnerable Million Dollars Infancy

Author:Sara Blakely

“I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest returns on investment. I am committed to the belief that we would all be in a much better place if half the human race (women) were empowered to prosper, invent, be educated, start their own businesses, run for office essentially be given the chance to soar.”

“Whatever you can think, you can create; just have a very clear vision... Once you have your snapshot, work on filling in the blanks to get to that place.”

Thinking Vision Clear Execution Filling Snapshots Clear Vision Filling In

Author:Sara Blakely

“When I'm bored or tired of being blonde, I'll throw on a wig. It's a lot less of a permanent way to change your look, and I have about 10 - all different colors, shapes, bobs, long hair, short, feathered.”

Way Looks Long Different Color Hair Shapes Tired Bored Permanent Bob Blonde Wigs Long Hair Different Colors

Author:Sara Blakely

“I knew that I wanted to start my own business. I knew that I wanted to work for myself. I was no stranger to the word no. You just have to keep going.”

Wanted My Own Stranger Keep Going Own Business

Author:Sara Blakely

“I'm obsessed with the customer. I am the customer. I really don't think you can go wrong if you don't take your eye off of that. Serving the customer. How does she feel? I feel like the fashion industry has cared a lot about how we look but not about how we feel.”

Ifs Thinking Feels Looks Doe Eye Fashion Industry Customers Obsessed Serving Fashion Industry

Author:Sara Blakely

“I feel that women have been neglected, unnecessarily neglected and mistreated personally by the fashion industry and shapewear in that entire category was a definite place that we were neglected.”

Feels Has Beens Fashion Industry Categories Definite Neglected Fashion Industry Mistreated

Author:Sara Blakely

“I would say where I feel like I'm struggling the most in learning and giving myself permission to fail is in finding the balance in life. There are different aspects to women: there's the mother, there's the working woman, there's the wife, the friend, the sister, the daughter and so just figuring that all out. I continue to want to try new things and give myself permission to not be great at it.”

Want Giving Feels Trying Different Mother Struggle Wife Failing Balance Findings Daughter Aspect New Things Permission Life Balance Working Women

Author:Sara Blakely

“My dad encouraged us to fail. Growing up, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn't have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome, failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail.”

Ifs Trying Would Be Age Asks Growing Up Growing Failing Week Changed Dad My Dad Mindset Outcomes Birthday Disappointed Afraid To Fail

Author:Sara Blakely

“I have this system where if I buy three or four new things, I give away three or four things. Sometimes, it's a very painful system, but shopping is even better when you know that someone else who needs it will be getting. Keep the clothing karma going, I say.”

Ifs Knows Needs Giving Sometimes Three Four Painful Karma Shopping Clothings New Things

Author:Sara Blakely

“It's important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable.”

Important Happens Mistake Worst Willing Memorable Making Mistakes Worst Things

Author:Sara Blakely

“Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”

“What I most identify with is effortless fashion, looking as if someone's not put a lot of effort into their look.”

Ifs Looks Effort Fashion Effortless

Author:Sara Blakely

“Don't solicit feedback on your product, idea or your business just for validation purposes. You want to tell the people who can help move your idea forward, but if you're just looking to your friend, co-worker, husband or wife for validation, be careful. It can stop a lot of multimillion-dollar ideas in their tracks in the beginning.”

People Ifs Want Ideas Helping Moving Purpose Wife Products Husband Dollars Workers Track Careful Be Careful Feedback Validation Co Worker Spanx

Author:Sara Blakely

“I think failure is nothing more than life's way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. It is liberating. Most people attach failure to something not working out or how people perceive you. This way, it is about answering to yourself.”

People Thinking Way Trying Courses Attitude Work Out Perceive Outcomes Liberating My Attitude

Author:Sara Blakely

“Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' is my go-to song to pump myself up if I'm having a tough time or if I get really nervous right before a speech.”

Ifs Song Loses Speech Tough Nervous Tough Times Pumps Losing Yourself

Author:Sara Blakely

“I took a Fear of Flying class, and I always missed the class, because I was always flying.”

Class Flying Fear Of Flying

Author:Sara Blakely

“Don't let what you don't know scare you, because it can become your greatest asset. And if you do things without knowing how they have always been done, you're guaranteed to do them differently.”

Ifs Knows Done Knowing Optimistic Assets Scare

Author:Sara Blakely

“I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone in my life. Now I tell people - don't tell anyone your idea until you have invested enough of yourself in it that you are not going to turn back. When a person has an idea at that conception moment it is the most vulnerable - one negative comment could knock you off course.”

People Inspirational Persons Made Ideas Enough Moments Turns Courses Decision Conscious Negative Vulnerable Conception Comment Back When Negative Comments

Author:Sara Blakely

“I'll mix a lot of things. I'll wear a Temperley dress with flip flops, or I might be in head-to-toe Gucci and have on a ring that I got from a gumball machine for 50 cents.”

Might Machines Dresses Rings Cents Toes Flip Gucci Flip Flops Gumballs

Author:Sara Blakely

“Every time I went on stage I was so terrified I almost threw up.”

Stage Terrified

Author:Sara Blakely

“Everything in our society is so purposeful.”

Author:Sara Blakely

“I aim to be pretty - I gave up dressing to be sexy in the eighties.”

Aim Sexy Dressings Eighty Gave Up

Author:Sara Blakely

“I always joke and say I want to invent a comfortable stiletto and then retire.”

Want Comfortable Jokes Retiring Stilettos

Author:Sara Blakely

“I couldn't figure out what to wear under my clothes. The body shapers were too thick at the time.”

Body Figures Clothes Thick

Author:Sara Blakely

“I did not like the way I looked in a pair of white pants.”

Way White Pairs Pants White Pants

Author:Sara Blakely

“I didn't like the way it looked in white trousers, and I couldn't find anything to work underneath them.”

Way White Trousers

Author:Sara Blakely

“I feel like money makes you more of who you already are.”

Author:Sara Blakely

“I started thinking about joy. Everything in our society is so purposeful. Let's bring joy back to the experience.”

Thinking Joy Our Society

Author:Sara Blakely

“I'd never worked in fashion or retail. I just needed an undergarment that didn't exist.”

Fashion Needed Retail Undergarments

Author:Sara Blakely

“My revenue was $4 million my first year in business, off of one $20 item.”

Years Firsts Millions Revenue Items

Author:Sara Blakely

“The thing about fashion - it's like ducks going quack, quack quack. It's being dictated from above, and it just makes me want to rebel against it.”

Want Fashion Rebel Ducks Quacks

Author:Sara Blakely

“I grew up in a house where my father encouraged my brother and me to fail. I specifically remember coming home and saying, 'Dad, Dad, I tried out for this or that and I was horrible,' and he would high-five me and say, 'Way to go.'”

Way Home Remember Father House Five Failing Brother Grew Dad Grew Up Horrible My Brother Coming Home

Author:Sara Blakely

“My husband is such a healthy eater. Except when it comes to sweets. He never consumes anything except fruit until noon. And then from noon on he might have some brown rice and some tofu, and then, come eight or nine at night, he orders three mud-pie double-chocolate pieces of cake and eats all three of them.”

Might Night Order Three Pieces Sweet Healthy Husband Fruit Eight Nine Brown My Husband Chocolate Cake Pie Mud Rice Noon Tofu Mud Pies

Author:Sara Blakely

“Everything about my journey to get Spanx off the ground entailed me having to be a salesperson - from going to the hosiery mills to get a prototype made to calling Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. I had to position myself to get five minutes in the door with buyers.”

Made Five Doors Journey Minutes Position Calling Five Minutes Fifth Avenues Mills Buyers My Journey Prototype Salesperson Fifth Avenue Spanx

Author:Sara Blakely

“Embrace what you don't know, especially in the beginning, because what you don't know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.”

Knows Inspirational Different Inspiration Inspiring Business Embrace Entrepreneur Starting Assets Successful Business Successful Entrepreneurs Starting A Business Entrepreneur Motivational

Author:Sara Blakely

“I didn't want women to walk out of the dressing rooms feeling depressed and wanting a cocktail.”

Want Inspirational Feelings Walks Rooms Empowering Dressings Funny Inspirational Cocktails Dressing Rooms Feeling Depressed

Author:Sara Blakely

“Failure is not the outcome - failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail.”

Trying Inspiration Failing Resilience Outcomes Billionaire Afraid To Fail

Author:Sara Blakely

“There is a hidden blessing in the most traumatic things we go through in our lives. My brain always goes to, 'Where is the hidden blessing? What is my gift?'”

Motivational Brain Our Lives Blessing Stay Positive

Author:Sara Blakely

“My saddlebags are why Spanx exist! Now that I have a baby I also have a muffin top.”

Baby Muffins Spanx

Author:Sara Blakely

“Embrace what you don`t know”

Knows Motivational Embrace Entrepreneur Starting Successful Business Successful Entrepreneurs Starting A Business Entrepreneur Motivational

Author:Sara Blakely

“If somebody can do something 80 percent as good as you think you would have done it yourself, then you've got to let it go.”

Ifs Thinking Done Can Do Inspiring Percent Let It Go Can Do Something

Author:Sara Blakely

“With every obstacle that has happened to me in my life, my brain immediately says, ‘Where is the hidden blessing?’ In starting a business and growing a business, every day is learning how to manage obstacles.”

Brain Growing Happened Blessing Starting Obstacles Manage Starting A Business

Author:Sara Blakely

“Most of the reason we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not not going to do things in my life because of fear.”

Made Reason Decision Failing One Day Afraid To Fail

Author:Sara Blakely

“My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?”

Needs Doe Important Different Advice Entrepreneur Starting Customers Need You What's Important Differentiate Starting Out

Author:Sara Blakely

“You’ve got to visualize where you’re headed and be very clear about it. Take a polaroid picture of where you’re going to be in a few years.”

Years Clear Polaroids

Author:Sara Blakely

About the Author

Born: February 21, 1971
Known for: Businesswoman
Quotes: 81

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